


Christmas Party 101

by scarletmanuka



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Christmas Party, Christmas Smut, Educating The Socially Awkward, First Kiss, First Time, Getting Together, Hotch has an epiphany, M/M, Prompt fail, Reid plays coy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-09
Updated: 2016-12-09
Packaged: 2018-09-07 13:02:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8801839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletmanuka/pseuds/scarletmanuka
Summary: The BAU Christmas party doesn't quite go to plan but good things happen nonetheless.





	

Aaron stood at the railing outside his office, looking down over the bullpen. It was bustling with not only his team, but their partners as well and the mood was festive. They had been arranging this Christmas party for weeks now, and the planets had definitely aligned to allow for them to not only be in town, but not be on a case at all. Babysitters had been sorted, and they had also arranged for a taxi bus to ferry them out to the bar they were having dinner and drinks at, so everyone could have a relaxing drink.

Not for the first time, Aaron checked his phone for messages, and found none. His eyes strayed to the elevator as it dinged to see if it would reveal Beth, but when the doors opened it was two agents from another team who walked out. Their relationship had been strained of late, and he suspected she had been planning on ending it but just hadn’t had the guts to do it yet. He was surprised to find that he wasn’t overly upset by this thought – in fact, it had crossed his mind on more than one occasion.  _ I’m obviously just as much of a coward as she is _ . Jack had really taken to Beth, and he had been dragging it out more for his son’s sake than any desire to try and re-stoke the flames. They had little other than their love of running in common, and once the initial excitement from the physical attraction had dimmed, he had found himself more and more bored. Not that he hadn’t tried to make an effort – in that regard he’d probably tried too hard to find common ground. He had thrown himself into any activities she’d suggested with enthusiasm, more than willing to try new things. Nothing had captivated him though, but at least he could say he’d kept an open mind and had made an effort. The fact that she hadn’t even tried to take an interest in any of his other hobbies should have been a wildly waving red flag, but he was nothing if not loyal. He typed out a quick text and sent it, hoping he’d have a response either way.

_ We’re just about ready to leave – are you joining us? If you’re stuck in traffic, I’ll make sure we wait for you. _

His phone beeped a short time later and from the length of the message, it was clear she’d had it ready to go in her drafts.

_ I’m sorry, Aaron but this just isn’t going to work out. You’re great, but I need someone who isn’t as tied down to his job or family, someone who is willing to go that extra distance for me. I’m planning on applying for a job in Hong Kong and I know you’re not prepared to come with me if I get it. Best to end it now, than to drag it out any further. Take care, and I wish you all the best for the holidays. _

Well, he had his answer, and it was a bit like being kicked in the gut. Despite this actually being what he wanted, it still didn’t feel nice to be a) broken up with at Christmas and b) broken up with via text message. He ducked into his office and pulled out the bottle of whiskey he kept in his bottom drawer. He poured a generous shot into his coffee mug and downed it in one go, before pouring another. He slumped down into his chair, and ran a hand over his face. Jess had Jack for the night, and he wondered if she’d be happy to have him again tomorrow. As nice as it would be to spend as much time leading up to Christmas with his son as he could, he knew it wasn’t fair on the boy to see him in a depressed slump. He could hold up the pretence for a short period of time, but Jack was more observant than most adults gave him credit for, and Aaron had no doubt that he’d notice. Not that he could keep it a secret forever, but he’d like to save that bit of bad news until after the holidays were over if he could. He didn’t want to mar the festivities with the news of his split.

He finished the whiskey and then gave himself a mental shake. He was going to push this to the back of his mind and try and enjoy the night as much as he could. His team meant the world to him, and were as much his family as Jack and Jess were. He left his office and took in the view below him.

JJ and Will were chatting with Spencer, the blonde showing off photos of Henry to the proud Godfather. Morgan and Savannah were laughing with Garcia, and Rossi was listening raptly to Prentiss (who was in the States to visit her mother for Christmas). Tara was busy on her phone but then she looked up, a hint of worry on her face. “Have you guys seen the weather forecast for tonight?” she called.

“Supposed to be a storm, yeah?” Morgan replied.

“Not just any storm, there’s a severe weather warning. The latest alert is advising everyone to stay inside and prepare to be snowed in.”

Garcia had moved across to one of the windows and was peering outside. Darkness had already fallen but the window overlooked the well-lit car park so she could see the snow already piling up. “Crapola, it’s really bad out there!”

The others, including Aaron, moved to join her, and they clustered around the small window to watch the snow fall heavily from the sky. JJ’s phone rang and she answered it, listening briefly before thanking the caller and hanging up. “Looks like our plans have changed,” she said wryly. “That was the taxi company advising us that they’ve cancelled our service tonight. The roads are already getting impassable and they won’t risk their drivers in weather like this.”

“But it was fine when we were on our way in!” Morgan protested.

“You’d be amazed how quickly storms can come in,” Reid told him. “In fact, the average time for-“

“Ah! Nope, don’t want to hear it, Pretty Boy. Tonight is not the night for lectures on meteorology.” He looked around at the team. “Alright, change of plans. Looks like the party has moved to here.”

“Shouldn’t we try to get home now while we still can?” JJ asked.

Will shook his head. “Not a good idea, Sugar. A lot of people are going to be caught out by how fast this came in and that’s going to make for a lot of panicked drivers on the road. It’s safer to stay here till it blows over.”

“Will is right,” Aaron told them all. “It’s best if we stay here. I’d suggest everyone call home to make arrangements now in case we lose phone signals once the worst hits. Then how about we raid the kitchen and meet up in the conference room to make the most of it?”

They nodded at the suggestion, and Aaron made his own call to Jess. She was happy that he was stuck at the BAU and not in the middle of town, and assured him that she was well provisioned in the case they were snowed in for some time. He got her to put Jack on, and once he’d promised his son that he’d call as often as possible, went to the kitchen to start foraging for party food. Reid was already there, having no one to call, his arms full of supplies. “We’ve got almost a full platter of sandwiches and half a one of pastries leftover from that big meeting the Director had today, plus I found a couple of boxes of Oreos in the cupboard,” he said with a grin.

“Great. Nice hunting and gathering skills there, Doctor Reid.” He returned the grin, trying to project a more casual vibe. This was a night for the team to relax around one another, and he didn’t want to be thought of as Bossman for the whole evening. Besides, he’d found that of his team, Reid was one of the few who got his sense of humour.

“I got top marks in Scavenging when I was at university.”

“Do you have a PhD in that as well?”

“Nope, just my masters.”

They cracked up laughing, and Aaron took one of the platters from the genius’ arms so there would be less chance of him dropping his scavenged goods while they made their way up to the conference room. The others had started to gather there - Garcia with the jar of sweets she always had in her office, JJ, Prentiss, and Tara with several bags of crisps they’d gotten from the vending machine, and Morgan and Rossi entered a moment later holding aloft several bottles of booze, one of which was the whiskey from Aaron’s bottom drawer.  The food was soon spread out over the conference table, Morgan had hooked his iPod up to the  teleconference speakers, and drinks were being poured. It might not have been the way the night was supposed to go, but no one could say their team wasn’t adaptable.

As the food was eaten, people started breaking off into twos and threes for individual conversations, and Aaron sat back in his chair to just watch. He wasn’t feeling up for any deep and meaningfuls that night, and was happy to just sit on the perimeter. Half an hour later, just after he’d refreshed his drink, Reid took the seat next to him. The lanky doctor offered him a small smile, but seemed content to just sit quietly, enjoying the company of the older agent without the need for conversation. Aaron was profoundly grateful that Reid could be as introverted as himself, and understood that not every silence needed to be filled with small talk. Over the years he had found himself enjoying the young man’s presence more and more.

Across the room, Rossi and Prentiss were deep in discussion and eventually Reid leaned in to speak quietly in Aaron’s ear. “They’ve not left each other’s side all night. Do you think…?”

He didn’t have to finish the thought for Aaron to know exactly what he was asking. He had thought the same thing many a time and had already bailed Rossi up about it, but hadn’t gotten a definitive answer. “I’ve never been able to tell if anything has ever happened between them, as much as they seem to want it to.”

“I suppose with Emily in the UK now, there’s not that much time for that sort of thing. But they do seem pretty into one another.”

“For two people in a room of profilers, they don’t seem to be hiding it, either,”

Reid looked suddenly guilty. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be gossiping about our friends.”

Aaron smiled and shook his head. “Don’t be sorry – it’s not really gossip, just a mutual hope that two lonely souls will finally admit what they feel and get on with being happy. We’re allowed to want that for our friends, Reid.” He shrugged. “Besides, it’s our Christmas party – I’m pretty sure gossiping is on the checklist of things to do.”

“You know how socially awkward I am – do I get a copy of this checklist?”

“I’ll see if I can dig one up from somewhere,” Aaron teased. “Though HR are notoriously slow to update stuff so it’s probably from 1973 and includes ‘smoke a cigar with the boss’.”

“Oh, do you have any handy?”

He made a show of patting his pockets. “I seem to have left them in my other jacket.”

Reid huffed playfully. “When I fail to meet my requirements, I do hope you’ll keep it off my appraisal.”

“I’m sure we can work something out.”

“I guess I’ll just have to make sure I excel at the one thing on the list I’m aware of.”

“You excel at everything you do, so I doubt you’ll have a problem.”

Reid blushed and he took a gulp of his drink so he didn’t have to meet the older man’s eyes. Aaron’s brain took note of how the flush crept down from the cheeks and over his long, pale neck, and soon another area of his body of taking note as well. He hadn’t had  _ that _ much to drink, and he was wondering why he was suddenly reacting like this. He had always recognised Reid’s almost androgynous beauty, but that had always been eclipsed by the sheer brilliance of his intelligence and his value to the team. Aaron had never even considered the possibility he could be attracted to Reid, since there was the obvious age difference, the fact he was his superior, and then the tiny fact that Reid had never indicated that he was attracted to the same sex. Aaron had dabbled in college, like most people in the 80’s had, but then he and Haley had reconnected after their degrees and they’d settled into a life of monogamy. He knew little of the younger man’s romantic interests, but if the two partners he  _ did _ know about were anything to go on, he liked women. But that didn’t mean he didn’t like men as well…case in point, one Aaron Hotchner.

Reid coughed, and broke the thread of tension that had been delicately strung between them. “So, could Beth not make it because of the storm?” he asked casually as he played with the rim of the plastic cup he was holding.

Aaron didn’t have to be a profiler to pick up that as much as he was trying to hide it, Reid was very interested in the answer to that question. It might have been phrased to sound like a friendly enquiry as to the whereabouts of his girlfriend, but between the lines it was begging for information about the status of their relationship. He’d asked and answered questions like it enough times in the past to be certain of that much. In a split second, he thought about his life, and where it was going, and the disastrous luck he’d had with relationships. He also thought about what he wanted, and immediately the answer was ‘I want to be happy, and cherished, and desired’. Looking at the man sitting next to him in a new light, he wondered if perhaps the answer had been right in front of him all along. He teetered on the edge, scared to take the leap and expose himself to more pain and heartbreak, but knowing that if he didn’t take the opportunity that was staring him in the face right now, he may never get another chance.

“Beth isn’t here because she broke up with me,” he answered finally.

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.”

_ Really? You sure as hell don’t sound like it _ ,  _ Doctor Reid.  _ “It’s a wonder it lasted as long as it did. I’m not going to lose much sleep over it.” He kicked himself at how callous that sounded. “That came out wrong. I just meant that it wasn’t working out, and it’s best that we went our separate ways. No point banging against a closed door when there are other doors to explore.” He cut a glance at the younger man and was sure he saw a flicker of hope cross his face.

“How did Jack take the news?”

_ Also adding to my list of wants is someone who gives a damn about my son.  _ “He doesn’t know yet. It’s a fairly recent development. I’m going to wait till after Christmas is over.”

“Ah, yeah, that makes sense.” He paused, then blurted, “So, I guess you’re pretty pissed about our plans getting changed tonight. Probably wanted to let your hair down and have a chance to get over her.”

Aaron was dumbstruck for a moment. “Spencer Reid, are you suggesting that I had planned to have a rebound fuck?”

_ And there was that lovely colour again _ . “No! I mean, not exactly...well, maybe…I don’t know what people usually…maybe it’s something you…I don’t…urgh! Forget I said anything!”

Aaron laughed and lay his hand on Reid’s arm. “Calm down, I was just teasing.”

Reid huffed, but didn’t look offended so the older man took it as a playful huff.  “Teasing the socially awkward kid – pretty sure that’s a fireable offense.”

“You going to report me to HR?” he asked with a smirk. 

He appeared to consider this. “Hmmm, I guess it depends. I wouldn’t want you to actually get fired, but maybe I could talk them into leniency.”  _ How is it possible for that cheeky twinkle in your eyes to be having such an effect on me? I’m feeling like a hormonal teenager for crying out loud! _

“What would you suggest?”

“I’d recommend they send you to a seminar on ‘How Not To Be A Dick To The Resident Genius’, and then you might be required to give me some additional mentoring on Christmas Party Checklists.”

“I’d say that’s stern but fair.”

“Better than being fired.”

“True.”

“Going through all that HR red tape though is going to be painful for me, so how about we just work this out ourselves?”

“I guess my career is in your hands, Doctor Reid. I’ll do anything you want.”  _ And if you could read my mind right now, you’d know I mean ANYTHING. _

“I think we can skip the seminar part and can jump straight to the mentoring part.”

“Are you really  _ that _ worried about passing Christmas Party 101?”

“It’s the one topic I’m struggling with.”

_ And I’m struggling a little with the fact that it feels like we’re flirting outrageously with one another. Or is that just wishful thinking?  _ “I suppose I could give you some tutoring.”

Reid tapped his bottom lip thoughtfully. “The only problem is that we’re always so busy here at work. We might not find the time in between cases and consults.”

“I can see that that may be an issue.”

“I guess there’s nothing else for it – you’re going to have to tutor me after work.” He smiled coyly. “Over dinner would work.”

_ Spencer Reid, you little minx! Obviously NOT just wishful thinking.  _ “I guess if that’s the price I have to pay, I can manage that. Though, I can always start your lessons now if you want, seeing as we  _ are _ actually at a Christmas Party. Consider it on the job training.”

“That’s a good plan. So, what else appears on these check lists?”

“Well, getting drunk is pretty high up on the list.”

Reid threw back the last of his beverage. “Pretty sure I can tick that off. I’m a cheap date.”

“Dancing on tables generally makes an appearance.”

He looked across the room. “Looks like Garcia has kindly taken that burden for me.”

Aaron laughed, and then finished off his own drink, hoping he hadn’t read the situation entirely wrong.  _ Deep breath. You’ll either make a total fool of yourself or it’ll be the start of something bloody fantastic.  _ “And then there’s hooking up with a colleague.”

The grin that spread across the younger man’s face could only be described as feral. He then stretched theatrically. “I’m feeling rather tired. I might head to the break room to get some coffee to keep me going.” He stood up and winked. “Care to join me?”

_ Yes, yes, yes, God yes!  _ “I am a bit tired so coffee sounds rather good.” He stood and they sauntered casually from the conference room, unnoticed by the rest of the team. They made it halfway to the break room when Aaron spied a convenient meeting room. He grabbed Spencer’s hand and pulled him inside, pushing the door shut with his foot as he backed the younger man up against the wall. He nosed along the edge of his jaw, breathing in the heady scent of cologne and cinnamon body wash. 

Spencer let his head drop back, exposing the pale expanse of his neck for Aaron. “I’ve wanted this for so long,” he murmured as the older agent kissed his way down his throat.

“You kept it hidden rather well.” He licked at the hollow of Spencer’s throat, his hands tightening on slender hips and pulling their bodies flush together.

“You’re my boss, plus, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure you were even interested in men. And then you found Beth...what would have been the point of telling you?”

“Mmmm, when you put it like that, I suppose I can’t blame you for hiding it.” He pulled back from kissing at the younger man’s throat so he could look him in the eye. “I want you to know, Spence, that I  _ want _ this. I want  _ you _ . I know we’ve been drinking, and there’s so many things going against this, but I don’t care. I don’t want this to just be a one night fling. I want to make a proper go of it, because I think you could make me happy.” He closed his eyes briefly, and took a step back so their erections were no longer plastered against each other. “If you don’t want anything other than a quick fuck tonight, I don’t think I’ll be able to say no...but I really hope you want more as well.”

When he opened his eyes again, it was to find that Spencer’s hazel eyes had widened and he was gazing at Aaron in wonder. “I want more, Aaron, so much more. You have no idea how much I want that. I just never even dared hope…”

He grinned, and tipped his head forward so their foreheads were resting against each other. “That makes me so happy to hear.” He reached up to cup one side of his genius’ face and then pressed their lips together for their first proper kiss. It was sweet and gentle, but there was a heat burning underneath. “Does that mean you want to take things a bit slower, then?” he asked as they broke apart.

Spencer quirked an eyebrow at him. “Oh hell no.” He crushed their lips together, and ducked one hand down and started to unzip their pants. “I’ve waited too long to get my hands on you, Aaron. I’m done with waiting.” 

Before Aaron even knew what was happening, his cock was springing free from his trousers and long, slender fingers were wrapping around his length. He felt the answering hardness of Spencer’s cock sliding against his own and a litany of meaningless words tumbled from his mouth. He licked his way into the younger man’s mouth, their tongues dancing together as they swallowed gasps and moans. Already, there was a tightness building in his balls and he knew he wasn’t going to last long. When he broke the kiss to gasp out a warning, Spencer just huffed out a laugh. “I’ll be right behind you,” he said.

Those deft fingers continued to stroke and slide, rub and pull, and then Aaron was crying out and spurting his release between them. Spencer’s breath hitched and his body stilled, and Aaron felt the warm bloom of his come splash over his arm. They fell against each other, panting roughly as they tried to catch their breaths.

“That was…”

“Yeah…”

“Fuck, Spencer, you’re amazing.”

The younger man turned his head and pressed a kiss to the corner of Aaron’s mouth. “So are you.” He then grinned. “So, what do you think? Reckon I’ll pass my exam?”

Aaron couldn’t help but laugh, and kissed him soundly. “I think you’ve got Christmas 101 down pat.”  _ Oh yes, this was most definitely the start of something wonderful. _

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this story as a prompt but got to the end and discovered I'd fucked up and not met the prompt at all so it turned into a generic Christmas story instead.


End file.
